Folding table for automobile seats



Aug. 24, 1954 a. 1. SMITH EI'AL 2,637,335

FOLDING TABLE FOR AUTOMOBILE SEATS Filed Aug. 17, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Fig.1

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s- 24, 1954 G. 1. SMITH m; 2,687,336

FOLDING TABLE FOR AUTOMOBILE SEATS Filed Aug. 1'7, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2George Smith L arr/e 0.. Smith 29 IN V EN TORS.

Patented Aug. 24, 1954 FOLDING TABLE FOR AUTOMOBILE SEATS George I.Smith and Lottie D. Smith, Bangor, Maine Application August 1'7, 1953,Serial No. 374,626

2 Claims.

Our invention relates to improvements in folding tables for use inautomobiles and the like.

The primary object of our invention is to provide a table having a topsupported by a'pair of brackets provided with suspension hooksengageable over the back of the front seat of an automobile to suspendthe table top behind the back, and screw-feed pusher means carried bysaid brackets for engagement with said back and operation to tilt saidtop vertically for leveling the same, said table being foldable intocompact form far carrying or storing when not in use.

Still another object is to provide for swingably adjusting the bracketslaterally on the table top to correspondingly adjust the suspensionhooks and the pusher means to facilitate engaging said hooks over theback of the seat and engagement of said pusher means with said back.

Other and subordinate objects together with the precise nature of ourimprovements will become readily apparent when the succeedingdescription and claims are read with reference to the drawingsaccompanying and forming a part of this specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in perspective illustrating a preferredembodiment of our improved table suspended from the back of the frontseat of an automobile;

Figure 2 is a view in perspective of the table detached;

Figure 3 is an enlarged view in front elevation of the same;

Figure 4 is an enlarged view in plan;

Figure 5 is an enlarged view in end elevation;

Figure 6 is an enlarged view in bottom plan of the table folded;

Figure 7 is a View in plan of the same; and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary enlarged view taken on the line 88 of Figure3. I

Referring now to the drawings by numerals, the table I of our inventioncomprises a pair of generally rectangular table top forming panels 2preferably of wood hingedly connected in a man- 'ner presently describedfor unfolding with inner ends 3 in butt joint coplanar relation or forfolding face to face and parallel. The outer end, front corners 5 of thepanels 2 may be rounded to obviate sharp corners and the outer end rearcorners of said panels 2 are recessed as at I for clearance of hangerhooks presently described. The rear inner end corners of the panels 2are recessed, as at 9 for clearance of an ash receiver or the like, notshown, on the, back of some automobile front seats.

A pair of bottom reinforcing plates H extend across the inner ends 3 ofthe panels 2 and are suitably secured thereto, and a pair of cleats l3transverse to said panels are fixed to the bottoms of the plates H byangle brackets l2. of leaf hinges l5 on the bottom of the cleats l3 uponopposite sides of the longitudinal center of the panels 2 hingedlyconnect the panels; The plates ll engage edgewise and the cleats l3engage sidewise to establish the unfolded coplanar relation of saidpanels 2 and to keep said panels 2 when unfolded from sagging on thehinges.

' A pair of reinforcing plates l1 extend obliquely across the bottoms ofthe panels 2 adjacent their outer ends and are suitably secured thereto.

The suspending means comprises a pair of forwardly and downwardlyturned, soft steel suspension hooks l9 at the rear of the panels 2adjacent their outer ends adapted to hook down- Wardly over the back 2|of the front seat 23 of an automobile as shown in Figure 1 and which maybe coated or otherwise covered with rubber,

not shown, for protecting the covering of said back 2|. The suspensionhooks I9 are connected to and suspend means for supporting the panels 2or table I and presently to be described.

The means for supporting the panels 2, or table I comprises thefollowing: A pair of laterally spaced angle brackets 25 preferably ofwood, and each including a horizontal arm 2! and a depending arm 29 atthe rear of the panels 2 are provided beneath the reinforcing plates 1.A diagonal brace 3| connects the arms 21, 29 of each bracket 25. Thehorizontal arms 21 of the brackets 25 extend parallel with the plates I!and are hinged thereto as at 33 so that the brackets 25, as best shownin Figure 3, are swingable in a separative direction into right angledsupporting unfolded position relative to the panels 2, or said brackets25 may be swung toward each other into folded position parallel with thepanels 2 and in between said panels 2 when said panels 2 are folded intofacing relation as shown in Figure 6.

A pair of pusher bars 35 for leveling the brackets 25 to level thepanels 2, or table I are hinged at upper ends thereof as at 31 to therear ends of the horizontal arms 21 to swingably depend therefrom and bepushed against the back 2|. A pair of jack screws 39 extend rearwardlythrough the lower ends of the arms 29 for turning against said bars 35for screw-feed vertical tilting of the brackets 25 on the hinges 31 toadjust said brackets 25 angularly according to the slope of said back 2!into level position. The bars 35 A pair are covered with soft material40 to protect the back 2| of the seat 23. The suspension hooks I9 extendthrough the recesses I and through the horizontal arms 2'! of brackets25 and are threaded through upper and lower nuts M, 43 on the frontsides of the vertical arms 29 and through nuts 44 fitted and suitablyfixed in the braces 31. As will be seen the hooks l9 suspend thebrackets 25 and are connected to the angle brackets 25 for threadedadjustment vertically to adjust the height of said brackets 25 andconsequently of the panels 2 and said hooks i9 are foldable with thebrackets 25 substantially parallel with the folded panels 2 and as shownin Figures 6 and 7. As will also be seen, the brackets 25 are swingablyadjustable laterally on the hinges 33 to correspondingly adjust the sameand the pusher bars 35 and suspension hooks 19 relative to the back 2|as occasion may require.

To further brace the panels 2, a pair of strut bars 43 are hingedtogether at inner ends thereof as at 45 with the same ends secured as at3'! to the bottoms of cleats 13, the axis of the hinge 45 beingcoincident with that of the hinges 5 and said strut bars extendingbeneath the panels 2 longitudinally in the approximate longitudinalcenter of said panels and having their outer ends fixed as at 39 to theplates I1.

To unfold the table l the panels 2 are swung in a separative directionindicated by the arrows in Figure 3. The brackets 25 will then gravitatein a separative direction as indicated by the arrows in Figure 3 andswing the suspension hooks 19 toward upright position in which thesamemay be grasped for hooking over the back and swinging into completeupright position established by engagement of the arms 27 with thebottoms of the plates I? which also establishes the unfolded position ofthe brackets. As will be seen the strut bars 43 will unfold when thepanels 2 are unfolded and in the same manner. In folding the table I thebrackets 25 are first folded inwardly toward each other fiat against theplates ll after which the panels 2 are folded toward each other toposition the brackets 25 therebetween as shown in Figure 6. Folding ofthe brackets 25 folds the hooks substantially parallel with the panels 2and folding of the panels 2 folds the bars 43 on the hinge 45 in betweensaid panels. The recesses permit the unfolding of the hooks into theposition described while providing for arranging the hooks forwardly ofthe rear edge of the unfolded panels so that said rear edge will hug theback 2| of the seat 23.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suffice to impart a clearunderstanding of our invention without further explanation.

Manifestly the invention, as described, is susceptible of modificationwithout departing from the inventive concept and right is hereinreserved to modifications falling within the scope of the invention asherein claimed.

What we claim is:

l. A table for attachment to the back of an automobile seat comprising atable top, a pair of laterally spaced brackets beneath said topsupporting the same and each including a depending rear arm, a pair ofsuspension hooks carried by said brackets and engageable over said backto suspend said brackets, a pair of laterally spaced vertical pusherbars in the rear of said arms engageable with the back of the seat,hinge means connecting said bars at upper ends thereof to said arms forvertical tilting of said arms on said bars for leveling the brackets tolevel said top, and jack screws threaded through said arms for turningagainst said bars to tilt said arms.

2. A table according to claim 1, said brackets being hinged to said topfor lateral adjustment to correspondingly adjust said hooks and the barsrelative to said back.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,116,991 McDonald Nov. 3, 1914 1,193,876 Comey Aug. 8, 19161,964,500 Breiding et al. June 26, 1934 2,189,607 Krischke Feb. 6, 19402,640,597 Thomson June 2, 1953

